With a title like A Spy At Home it is easy to expect this book to be a mystery or a thriller but it is neither. Sure, there is a mystery, and sure, there are incredibly hard to find bad guys but this novel is more about taking care of one's family than surviving in a war zone.
This is a relatively short book, only 122 pages, but it took me a while to read it, possibly because it was not like the books I'm used to where the author takes the readers into the story. Instead Garrison is the narrator, telling us about things that happened and somehow even though there's always talk about how this or that event made him feel the scenes that engaged me weren't as frequent as I would have liked. There simply wasn't the sort of detail that brings the story into the here and now and makes the characters come alive. For example when I read "Louisa began her subtle prodding..." I wished I knew what she said and how she finally got the police officer to tell her what she wanted to know. In addition to that sort of telling and not showing the copy I got had many spelling and grammatical errors and while I allow that the manuscript may have gotten proofed and revised to eliminate those at a later date they were too much of a distraction for me.
There are few characters in this book and Noah, Garrison's son with Down syndrome, is the most developed one. I repeatedly caught myself thinking that the author must have either done extensive research or has personal experience with this condition because the way Noah is portrayed feels very authentic and the family's reactions to the developments he undergoes are particularly believable.
It is understandable that secondary characters, like the family's friends and Garrison's former superior and CIA contact, weren't written with much detail but I expected that by the end of the book I would know this family. Instead while I found out what they did for a living, how they managed to keep the stolen money hidden and some very intimate particulars about their sex life I didn't really feel that I knew them. They were a family an acquaintance told me about, not a family I got to know myself.
I really wanted to enjoy this book and in the light of some very favorable reviews out there I'm inclined to think that my state of mind wasn't ideal for it. There were quite a few very insightful moments that I felt came from experience and gave authenticity to the writing, and the final sentence was so strong that as soon as I read it I knew it was my favorite part of the book, but as a whole this novel didn't really do it for me. I urge you to check it out though, may be it'll be just right for you. ( )

A retired CIA operative comes to believe he wasted his professional life not only promoting questionable American policies, but missing life with his family. To ease the pain he diverts millions that the CIA expected him to use funding a coup attempt that would establish a pro-American government in an African country. Seeing the coup would fail, Garrison decides to save the money for himself. You, the reader, can decide if he's a villain with evil intent, a hero with altruistic motives, or a regular guy sick of working for peanuts in a dangerous environment.

Back at home he and his wife look forward to their golden years being luxuriously comfortable and opulently relaxed. Unfortunately, after his wife dies in a tragic accident, he must learn all that she knew about caring for Noah, their mentally retarded son. After a life of planning for contingencies, the former spy must deal with the possibility that he may die before his son. Who will care for the son when the dad spent a life out of the country and now has no one to lean on?

My take - A truly wonderfully written story of Garrison Stonebrook and his life as a CIA operative with all of the challenges that you would expect in the world of CIA intrigue and suspense. How he must adjust to family life after he decides to leave the CIA and the consequences he must face when tragedy spills over into his life and what he must do to cope with it in the end.

A SPY AT HOME is a must read! Be sure to set aside time for yourself to finish this book, once you start you won't want to put it down. You will connect immediately with Garrison and his family so much so that you will find yourself sometimes wondering if A SPY AT HOME is a work of fiction or is it a real life experience.

The Book Ends Reviews - One Book Ends, Another Begins

Karen ( )

I received this book from the author requesting a review. I enjoy reading and will try any book and post a review.
A Spy at Home is the story about a retired CIA agent, his wife Louisa and their son Noah. You learn how Garrison and Louisa met and how they finally have a son. Their son Noah is not biologically theirs but a child that is rescued from a neighbors house after a fire. Noah has Downs Syndrome and most likely would not be adopted. Louisa has fallen in love with the baby and they decide to adopt him.

This story is about their life and raising a child with Downs Syndrome. You have a husband who has pretty much been out of the picture most of the time because of his job. The story does jump around a lot and that can be confusing.

I didn't care for how the book ended. I didn't feel satisfied when I finished the book. It left me hanging and wanting to hear more about Noah and how his life continued with Alzheimer's disease.

Otherwise I enjoyed the book and did tear up a little while reading the book. I don't believe I have ever read a book that focused on Downs Syndrome before. I had a neighbor growing up who had Downs Syndrome and am familiar with some of the characteristics with them. I enjoyed reading a book that did cover them in a good way and how endearing people with a disability really are. ( )